Wheel chock with locking mechanism

ABSTRACT

The wheel chock includes a locking mechanism that can be held in a locked state when properly positioned on a base plate. The locking mechanism includes a positioning unit having at least one tooth provided to engage a side of a corresponding one of the blocking elements in a latched engagement when the positioning unit is in the fully locked position. The locking mechanism also includes an actuating device to move the positioning unit from the unlocked position towards the fully locked position, and a holding device to selectively hold the positioning unit in the fully locked position.

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

The present case is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/818,609 filed 13 Mar. 2020, now U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/535,209,which in turn is a continuation of PCT application No. PCT/CA2018/051137filed 13 Sep. 2018, all claiming the benefits of U.S. patent applicationNo. 62/558,717 filed 14 Sep. 2017. The entire contents of these priorcases are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates generally to wheel chocks that are part ofrestraint systems for preventing vehicles from moving away in anunauthorized or accidental manner when they are parked, for instance ata loading area, at a loading dock, in a parking lot, or in any othersuitable kinds of driveways or locations.

BACKGROUND

Wheels chocks are devices that can be positioned immediately in front ofa wheel of a parked vehicle to create an obstacle in the event of anunauthorized or accidental departure. This event can happen as a result,for instance, of an error or because someone is trying to steal thevehicle. Many other situations exist, including ones where the vehiclemovements are caused by other factors, such as trailer creep where themotion of a lift truck entering and exiting a trailer can causeseparation between the trailer and the dock leveler.

Various wheel chock arrangements have been suggested over the years.Examples can be found, for instance, in U.S. patent applicationpublication No. 2016/0272168 A1 published 22 Sep. 2016 and in PCT patentapplication No. WO 2016/191882 A1 published 8 Dec. 2016. The entirecontents of these two patent applications are hereby incorporated byreference. The underside of these wheel chocks includes a plurality ofteeth engaging corresponding teeth or other kinds of blocking elementsprovided on a ground-anchored base plate on which the wheel chocks areset to create an obstacle. Other kinds of wheel chocks exist as well.

A wheel chock is greatly resistant to a force applied in at least onedirection, for instance the departure direction, but it can generally bemoved relatively easily in the opposite direction over a distance thatwill be enough to pull the wheel chock off the base plate, for instanceby hand. Some implementations may require a higher level of security tomitigate the risks of having an unauthorized or accidental removal of awheel chock from the base plate.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,590,674 issued 25 Nov. 2013 discloses a chock systemhaving a secondary restraint mounted within the wheel chock that canlock it onto a base plate. The secondary restraint can be operatedmanually or by a motor assembly, for instance using an electric motor, ahydraulic motor or a pneumatic motor. The concept proposed in thisdocument can provide a higher level of security, but it may not addressall possible concerns. For instance, the secondary restraint could stillbe put in a locked position even if the wheel chock is not at anappropriate position on the base plate or if it is not on a base plate.Motorized versions can be difficult to unlock in case of an electricalpower outage or if another source of power is interrupted for somereason. They can also be significantly slower to operate compared to themanual ones, and this can be a factor when most of the users are in ahurry or are otherwise not always willing to wait for the secondrestraint to be in a locked state. Still, manually operated versions cansometimes be accidentally disengaged simply by bumping into or byotherwise touching the lever inadvertently.

There is still a need for a wheel chock having a locking arrangementthat includes one or more desirable features such as simplicity ofoperation when locking or unlocking the wheel chock, rapidity ofmovement, added security by preventing the wheel chock from beingconsidered locked if it is not positioned correctly onto an appropriatebase plate, and added security during use by preventing the wheel chockfrom being inadvertently unlocked, to name just a few.

Overall, there is still room for further improvements in this area oftechnology.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, there is provided a wheel chock for use over aground-anchored base plate in a restraint system to prevent a parkedvehicle from moving away in an unauthorized or accidental manner in adeparture direction when the wheel chock is in a tire-blocking positionon the base plate, the base plate having a plurality of spaced apartblocking elements and each blocking element having opposite first andsecond sides, the wheel chock having a tire-facing side to be positioneddirectly in front of a tire of a wheel of the parked vehicle, the wheelchock including: a main body; a plurality of spaced apart first teethprovided underneath the wheel chock to engage the first side of at leastone of the blocking elements of the base plate in a latched engagementwhen the wheel chock is in the tire-blocking position on the base plate;and a locking mechanism including: a positioning unit located inside themain body and movable between an unlocked position and a fully lockedposition, the positioning unit having at least one second tooth providedunderneath to engage the second side of a corresponding one of theblocking elements in a latched engagement when the positioning unit isin the fully locked position, the at least one second tooth being out ofengagement with the blocking elements when the positioning unit is inthe unlocked position; an actuating device for moving the positioningunit from the unlocked position towards the fully locked position; and aholding device located inside the main body to selectively hold thepositioning unit in the fully locked position.

In another aspect, there is provided a wheel chock including a lockingmechanism, as described, shown and/or suggested herein.

In another aspect, there is provided a method of restraining a wheeledvehicle using a wheel chock as described, shown and/or suggested herein.

More details on the various aspects, features and advantages of theproposed concept can be found in the following detailed description andthe appended figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a semi-schematic side view illustrating an example of a wheelchock located in front of a wheel of a generic vehicle.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view illustrating an example of a wheel chock inwhich the present concept is implemented.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock of FIG. 2 when thelocking mechanism is unlocked.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock shown inFIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but where some of the parts of thelocking mechanism were removed for the sake of illustration.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view of some of the parts of the lockingmechanism inside the wheel chock of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but taken from another viewpoint.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged isometric view of only some of the parts of thelocking mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 .

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but with the side brackets removedfor the sake of illustration.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but taken from another viewpoint.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but where one of the side plates wasremoved for the sake of illustration.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but where some of the parts of thelocking mechanism were removed for the sake of illustration.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of what is shown in FIG. 12 where additionalparts of the locking mechanism were removed for the sake ofillustration.

FIG. 14 is a transversal cross section view of the wheel chock takenalong line 14-14 in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 15 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock of FIG. 2 when thepositioning unit is about halfway between the unlocked position and thefully locked position.

FIG. 16 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock shown inFIG. 15 .

FIG. 17 is a transversal cross section view of the wheel chock takenalong line 17-17 in FIG. 15 .

FIG. 18 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock of FIG. 2 when thepositioning unit is in the fully locked position.

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock shown inFIG. 18 .

FIG. 20 is a transversal cross section view of the wheel chock takenalong line 20-20 in FIG. 18 .

FIG. 21 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock of FIG. 2 when anobstruction prevents one of the teeth on the positioning unit fromlatching with a corresponding one of the blocking elements.

FIG. 22 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock shown inFIG. 21 .

FIG. 23 is a simplified block diagram depicting an example of a controlsystem.

FIG. 24 is an isometric view of an example of a wheel chock in which thepositioning unit is moved by a powered actuator.

FIG. 25 is a semi-schematic side view of a variant of the wheel chockshown in FIG. 24 .

FIG. 26 is a longitudinal cross section view of an example of the wheelchock where the powered actuator in FIG. 25 is implemented as a linearactuator.

FIG. 27 is a view similar to FIG. 26 , showing the parts when thepositioning unit is almost in the fully locked position.

FIG. 28 is a longitudinal cross section view of an example of the wheelchock in which the locking mechanism includes a locking pin system.

FIG. 29 is a view similar to FIG. 28 , showing the parts when thepositioning unit is in the fully locked position.

FIG. 30 is a longitudinal cross section view of an example of the wheelchock in which the locking mechanism includes a pivoting latch system.

FIG. 31 is a view similar to FIG. 30 , showing the parts when thepositioning unit is in the fully locked position.

FIG. 32 is an enlarged view showing some of the parts of an example of alocking mechanism that can be held in a locked state using a latchingsystem that is not mounted on the main arm.

FIG. 33 is a view similar to FIG. 32 , showing the parts when thepositioning unit is in the fully locked position.

FIG. 34 is an isometric view illustrating an example of a wheel chock inwhich the positioning unit includes two rows of teeth disposed inparallel.

FIG. 35 is an enlarged isometric view of the locking mechanism insidethe wheel chock of FIG. 34 .

FIG. 36 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock shown inFIG. 34 .

FIG. 37 is a view similar to FIG. 36 but showing the parts when thepositioning unit is about halfway between the unlocked position and thefully locked position.

FIG. 38 is a view similar to FIG. 36 but showing the parts when thepositioning unit is in the fully locked position.

FIG. 39 is an isometric view of an example of a double-sided wheelchock.

FIG. 40 is a view similar to FIG. 39 , showing another example of adouble-sided wheel chock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a semi-schematic side view illustrating an example of a wheelchock 100 located in front of a wheel 102 of a generic vehicle 104, inthis case a truck trailer designed to be hauled by a truck tractor. Thisis only one among a multitude of possible uses for the wheel chock 100.

The wheel chock 100 is part of a restraint system 105 for preventing thevehicle 104 from moving away in an unauthorized or accidental manner.The wheel chock 100 is designed to be positioned directly in front ofthe wheel 102 over a ground-anchored base plate 106. The wheel chock 100is in a tire-blocking position in FIG. 1 and prevents the vehicle 104from moving in a direction of departure 108. The base plate 106 isrigidly attached to the ground, for instance using bolts or any othersuitable arrangement. The base plate 106 is also part of the restraintsystem 105.

The wheel chock 100 has an overall wheel chock height and an overallwheel chock length. The chock length is the horizontal dimension in thelongitudinal direction, thus in a direction that is parallel to thedeparture direction 108. The transversal direction is the horizontaldimension that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. It shouldbe noted that the departure direction 108 may not always be the forwarddirection for all vehicles since some wheel chocks may need to bepositioned behind a wheel instead of being positioned in front of it.

The wheel chock 100 creates an obstacle that must be removed only at theappropriate moment, for instance, by the driver of the vehicle 104, andafter the vehicle 104 was authorized to leave. The wheel chock 100 isotherwise left in position immediately in front of the wheel 102 toblock it, thereby preventing the whole vehicle 104 from moving. Ifdesired, the wheel chock 100 can be connected to an articulatedspring-assisted arm in some implementations. In others, it can simply bemoved by hand, for instance using a handle or the like provided on thewheel chock 100. Other arrangements and configurations are possible aswell.

The vehicle 104 in the example of FIG. 1 is shown as being parked at aloading dock 110 and its rear side is adjacent to the wall 112 locatedat the end of the loading dock 110. It can rest against a cushion or thelike, as shown schematically in FIG. 1 . The wall 112 can be part of acommercial building, for instance a warehouse, a distribution center orthe like. Variants are possible as well. The vehicle 104 includes acargo compartment 114. Access into the cargo compartment 114 can bemade, for instance, using a rear door, which rear door is positioned inregistry with a corresponding garage door on the wall 112 when thevehicle 104 is parked at the loading dock 110. The floor of the cargocompartment 114 and the floor of the corresponding building are often atthe same height or at a similar height so that a lift truck or the likecan load or unload the cargo therein. A ramp can also be used betweenboth floors if the height difference is too important. Other variantsare also possible.

It should be noted that the proposed concept can be implemented on wheelchocks for vehicles that are not truck trailers, including vehiclesunrelated to the transport industry. Likewise, loading docks are not theonly locations where wheel chocks can be provided. For instance, wheelchocks can be used with vehicles located in parking areas, truck stops,etc.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 1 , the wheel chock 100 is shown asbeing positioned between the wheel 102 and an adjacent wheel 116 locatedimmediately in front of the wheel 102. The wheel 102 and the adjacentwheel 116 can be part of a tandem axle arrangement. Other kinds ofconfigurations and arrangements are possible as well.

Many truck trailers have a dual wheel arrangement where two wheelspositioned side-by-side at each end of each axle. In this case, the word“wheel” used in the context of the wheel chock 100 refers to theexterior wheel and/or the interior wheel. Most implementations will havethe wheel chock 100 in position with only one of the wheels at a time,often the exterior wheel because of its proximity to the side of thevehicle. However, some could position the wheel chock 100 simultaneouslyin front of the two side-by-side wheels in some situations, or even onlyin front of the interior wheel in some others. It is thus intended thatthe word “wheel” in a singular form means either only one of theside-by-side wheels or both side-by-side wheels simultaneously in thecontext of a dual wheel arrangement.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view illustrating an example of a wheel chock 100in which the present concept is implemented. The wheel chock 100 isshown when appropriately installed on the base plate 106. The base plate106 includes a plurality of blocking elements 120, also sometimesreferred to as teeth, which are in the form of transversally disposedbars in the illustrated example. These blocking elements 120 are spacedapart from one another along the longitudinal direction 108, and theyproject above the top surface of a main plate member 122. The blockingelements 120 are configured and disposed to hold the wheel chock 100 inthe departure direction 108. For the sake of simplicity, FIG. 2 onlypartially shows one section of the base plate 106. The base plate 106 isgenerally made of a plurality of sections positioned end-to-end. Otherconfigurations and arrangements are possible as well.

The underside of the wheel chock 100 includes a plurality of teeth 118provided for engaging corresponding ones of the blocking elements 120provided on the upper side of the base plate 106. Each blocking element120 provides opposite side surfaces against which corresponding teeth118 of the wheel chock 100 can abut so as to create a wheel-blockingengagement in one direction or another, depending on the orientation ofthe wheel chock 100 on the base plate 106. These side surfaces can bepositioned at an oblique angle on both sides of the blocking elements120, as shown in the illustrated examples. Other configurations andarrangements are possible as well.

The teeth 118 are substantially downwardly projecting in the illustratedexample but other configurations and arrangements are possible. At leastone of the blocking elements 120 will be engaged by one set of teeth 118under the wheel chock 100 when the wheel chock 100 is in position on thebase plate 106. In the illustrated example, the longitudinal spacingbetween successive blocking elements 120 is larger than that between thesuccessive teeth 118. This allows the position of the wheel chock 100 inthe longitudinal direction to be adjusted along the base plate 106 byincrements that are smaller than the distance between two successiveblocking elements 120, thereby providing a greater flexibility in theadjustment of the position of the wheel chock 100 with reference to thewheel 102. This is generally a desirable feature, but it is possible todesign the restraint system 105 without it in some implementations.Other variants are also possible.

The blocking elements 120 and the main plate member 122 can be made of ametallic material, such as steel or an alloy thereof. Other materialsare also possible. In the illustrated example, the blocking elements 120are rigidly attached to the corresponding main plate member 122 bywelding. These blocking elements 120 were machined, prior to welding, inorder to obtain their final cross section shape as shown. Theillustrated blocking elements 120 were welded from the underside of themain plate member 122. They were partially inserted in correspondingtransversally extending slots made across the main plate member 122before welding. This approach minimizes or even alleviates difficultiescreated when elements of the base plate 106 interfere with the teeth 118of the wheel chock 100. Nevertheless, the above-mentioned manufacturingmethod is optional, and welding is also not the only possible method forrigidly attaching the blocking elements 120 to the main plate member122. Other manufacturing methods and processes are possible. Otherconfigurations and arrangements for the base plate 106 are possible aswell.

The wheel chock 100 includes a main body 150. The main body 150 is therigid supporting structure of the wheel chock 100. It is designed forresisting the forces applied on the wheel chock 100 by the wheel 102 ofthe vehicle 104 in the case of an unexpected departure attempt in thedeparture direction 108. The main body 150 of the illustrated wheelchock 100 has a monolithic construction, and at least a majority of itsparts are made of a strong rigid material, for instance steel or analloy thereof. Using other materials and configurations is alsopossible.

It should be noted that in the present context, the expression“monolithic construction” means that there are no moving or easilydetachable structural parts once the main body 150 is fully assembled.Hence, the main body 150 does not have a foldable construction when ithas a monolithic construction. Additional components can be added to themain body 150, if desired and/or required, but a monolithic main bodydoes not require any movable parts to cooperate with the base plate 106and to block the wheel 102 in the departure direction 108. Theadvantages of having a monolithic construction include maximizing thesimplicity of use, improving strength due to the absence of hinges orthe like, particularly where the highest stresses can occur in use, andminimizing the manufacturing costs. Nevertheless, variants are possibleas well. For instance, the main body 150 could have a construction thatis not monolithic in some implementations.

In the illustrated example, the main body 150 of the wheel chock 100includes two spaced-apart main side members 152. The side members 152can be in the form of substantially vertically extending plates butvariants are also possible. They can be rigidly connected togetherusing, for instance, a plurality of transversal members 154 that arewelded or otherwise rigidly attached to the side members 152 to create ahollow structure. Variants are possible. The teeth 118 on the undersideof the illustrated wheel chock 100 are machined along the bottom edge ofeach side member 152. Each blocking element 120 with which the wheelchock 100 is engaged will be in a latched engagement simultaneously withtwo spaced-apart teeth 118 located at the same longitudinal positionalong the wheel chock 100. Each of these teeth 118 projects under arespective one of the side members 152. Other configurations andarrangements are possible in some implementations. For instance, thewheel chock 100 can be constructed without two side members 152, and theteeth 118 can be located elsewhere.

The illustrated wheel chock 100 includes a wheel-facing side 170. Thewheel-facing side 170 is the side that is adjacent to a wheel, forexample the wheel 102 in FIG. 1 , when the illustrated wheel chock 100is in position. Using a double-sided wheel chock or a wheel chock havinga completely different construction is possible as well.

The wheel-facing side 170 of the illustrated wheel chock 100 is greatlyrecessed so as to provide a tire deformation cavity located immediatelybelow a wheel-engaging bulge 180 for use with vehicles with tires. Thiswheel-engaging bulge 180 is generally located at a top end of the wheelchock 100. It provides the main engagement point on which acorresponding tire will exert most of its pressing force against thewheel chock 100 in the event of a premature or otherwise unexpecteddeparture. The wheel-engaging bulge 180 has a non-puncturing shape toprevent tire from being punctured or be otherwise damaged. It caninclude a smooth and continuous rounded convex surface extendingtransversally, as shown. Variants are possible as well. For instance,the wheel-engaging bulge 180 can be more or less triangular in profile,with a rounded tip. Many other shapes are possible. When viewed from theside, the wheel-engaging bulge 180 has a profile including a top surfaceportion and a bottom surface portion. The approximate medial line at theboundary between these top and bottom surface portions will engage thetire tread at the initial stage. Still, one can design the wheel chock100 without any bulge 180 or similar feature.

The wheel chock 100 of the proposed concept includes a locking mechanism200. In the illustrated example, the locking mechanism 200 is manuallyoperated using a lever 202 located on one of the lateral sides of thewheel chock 100. Besides the lever 202, other main parts of the lockingmechanism 200 are generally located in the hollow space inside the mainbody 150 of the wheel chock 100. The lever 202 can pivot around atransversal pivot axis 204 to activate the locking mechanism 200 using,for instance, foot pressure. The default state of the locking mechanism200 is an unlocked state. Once all forces are released, the lockingmechanism 200 will automatically get back to the default state. Once ina locked state, the locking mechanism 200 will prevent someone fromeasily removing the wheel chock 100 from the base plate 106 unless thelocking engagement is released. The teeth 118 of the wheel chock 100will be urged against the blocking elements 120 in the departuredirection 108, and the locking mechanism 200 will generate a forcepreventing any movement of the wheel chock 100 in the oppositedirection.

The lever 202 in the illustrated example includes an enlarged base 202 aand an elongated shank 202 b radially extending from the edge of thebase 202 a. The lever 202 has a relatively flat shape, and it extendsparallel to the outer surface of the corresponding side member 152. Thefree end of the illustrated shank 202 b includes a hole where atransversal rod or another similar feature (not shown) can be providedfor use as a foot pedal. This feature can be omitted in someimplementations. The lever 202 can also be used without any additionalfeature. Different configurations and arrangements are possible as well.Still, the lever 202 can be operated by hand in some implementations orin some circumstances. It can be omitted in others.

FIG. 2 also shows that the illustrated wheel chock 100 includes a wheelsensor 210 located inside the main body 150. This wheel sensor 210 isprovided to detect the presence of the wheel 102 of the vehicle 104, forinstance the proximity of the tire thread. The detection can be based onan optical arrangement or any other suitable technology, includingmechanical ones. The wheel sensor 210 is positioned in registry with anopening provided on a corresponding one of the transversal members 154.The wheel sensor 210 is useful, among other things, to prevent the wheelchock 100 from being positioned with the wrong orientation, namelybackward with reference to the wheel 102. Other configurations andarrangements are possible. The wheel sensor 210 can also be omitted insome implementations.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock 100 of FIG. 2 whenthe locking mechanism 200 is unlocked. The free end of the shank 202 bof the lever 202 in the illustrated example is then at its highestposition from the ground. FIG. 3 also shows that the base 202 a of thelever 202 includes a hole in which is located a transversally disposedpeg 206 or the like. The peg 206 extends inwards and into main body 150of the wheel chock 100 to transfer the force to a positioning unit 212therein. The peg 206 is freely movable inside an arc-shaped slot 208(visible in FIG. 34 ) made on the corresponding side member 152. Thisslot 208 is coaxially disposed with reference to the pivot axis 204 ofthe lever 202. The slot 208 can be used to limit the range of thepivoting motion for the lever 202. One can also use other arrangementsto limit the range of the pivoting motion or omit this feature entirely.Other configurations or arrangements are possible as well.

FIG. 3 shows that in the illustrated example, the wheel chock 100 hasthree sets of teeth 118 engaging a first side of three correspondingblocking elements 120 in a latched engagement. Variants are possible.For instance, the wheel chock 100 can have fewer or even more sets ofteeth 118 engaging blocking elements 120.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock 100 shownin FIG. 3 . This figure illustrates the interior of the wheel chock 100of FIG. 3 once the lever 202 and the adjacent side member 152 wereremoved for the sake of illustration, thereby exposing the parts of thelocking mechanism 200 that are inside the main body 150. The lockingmechanism 200 includes fixed parts and mobile parts. The fixed parts arerigidly attached inside the main body 150. Other configurations andarrangements are possible.

The locking mechanism 200 of this example includes a main arm 220pivotally mounted around a first bearing assembly 222. This bearingassembly 222 is coaxial with the pivot axis 204 of the lever 202 butusing another configuration or arrangement is possible in otherimplementations. The lever 202 can be pivotally connected to the wheelchock 100 using the same bearing assembly 222 or a different one.However, the lever 202 and the main arm 220 are not rigidly connected toone another in the illustrated example. This is generally desirable toprevent someone from directly applying an external force on the lever202 without knowing that the locking mechanism 200 is already in alocked state. The motion from the lever 202 in the illustrated exampleis transferred to the main arm 220 using the peg 206, as shown forinstance in FIG. 12 . Nevertheless, other configurations andarrangements are possible in some implementations, including having thelever 202 and the main arm 220 constantly in a torque transmittingengagement.

In the illustrated example, the main arm 220 supports a ferromagneticplate 224 located at or near the free end thereof. The ferromagneticplate 224 is designed to cooperate with an electromagnet 230 rigidlyattached inside the main body 150. This electromagnet system 224, 230allows to selectively hold the positioning unit 212 in the fully lockedposition. The ferromagnetic plate 224 is connected to the main arm 220using an arrangement of connectors that can compensate over a fewdegrees if the alignment with the electromagnet 230 is not perfect. Thisfeature can be omitted in some implementations.

It should be noted that the position of the electromagnet 230 and thatof its corresponding ferromagnetic plate 224 can be inverted in someimplementations. Still, the locking mechanism 200 can include anotherkind of locking arrangement to maintain the locking mechanism 200 in thelocked state for as long as it is necessary.

In the illustrated example, the main arm 220 brings the ferromagneticplate 224 into engagement with the electromagnet 230 only when thepositioning unit 212 is at the fully locked position. The electromagnet230 can then be energized to hold the ferromagnetic plate 224, therebyholding the locking mechanism 200 in a locked state. This electromagnet230 can otherwise remain inactive when the locking mechanism 200 is anunlocked state and possibly also as long as other conditions are met.Nevertheless, the ferromagnetic plate 224 must be very close to theelectromagnet 230 to be caught by it even if the electromagnet 230 isalready energized. Other configurations and arrangements are possible.

The locking mechanism 200 of the illustrated example can use signalsfrom various devices mounted on the wheel chock 100 for an addedsecurity. One of these devices is the wheel sensor 210 that can detectthe presence of the wheel 102 close to the wheel-facing side 170. It isthus possible to design the restraint system 105 so that the wheel chock100 can only be held in a locked state if it is positioned close to thewheel 102.

Another device is a position detector 232 provided inside the main body150 to determine if the locking mechanism 200 is indeed the base plate106 and not, for instance, simply set on the ground floor outside thebase plate 106. The position detector 232 in the illustrated exampleincludes a proximity sensor 232 a and a target, for instance a flatmetallic plate 232 b, located in front of the proximity sensor 232 a.The position detector 232 measures the gap between the tip of theproximity sensor 232 a and the target plate 232 b. Other configurationsand arrangements are possible. For instance, the position detector 232can be an induction sensor that triggers when the target plate comeswithin a given distance, a mechanical switch that triggers upon contactwith the target element, or an optical sensor that detects that targetis in the correct position. Using strain sensors is another possibility.Other configurations and arrangements are possible. The positiondetector 232 or an equivalent can also be omitted in someimplementations, depending for instance on the level of securityrequired.

The position detector 232 is useful to prevent the locking mechanism 200from being held in a locked state if it is not positioned on the baseplate 106. The locking mechanism 200 will then not engage one of theblocking elements 120, and the position detector 232 will detect itbecause the gap will not be the one expected. The restraint system 105can be configured to prevent the locking mechanism 200 from becominglocked, even the ferromagnetic plate 224 moves all the way against theelectromagnet 230. For instance, the position detector 232 can send asignal to a relay controlling the electric power sent to theelectromagnet 230. Other configurations and arrangements are possible.

The position detector 232 in the illustrated wheel chock 100 ispositioned on a spring-biased linkage 270 through which is transmittedthe force coming from the lever 202 for moving the positioning unit 212towards its fully locked position. The spring-biased linkage 270 is partof the positioning unit 212. Other configurations and arrangements arepossible.

A bias arrangement can be provided to move the positioning unit 212towards the unlocked position when no force is applied at the lever 202(i.e., the force being released) and the locking arrangement is nolonger active. In the illustrated example, a return force is generatedby two spaced apart and parallel helical springs 280. Again, otherconfigurations and arrangements are possible. Some implementations mayeven be configured and disposed to use the force of gravity to move thepositioning unit 212 towards the unlocked position. Hence, springs andother kinds of biasing arrangements can be omitted in someimplementations.

It should be noted that it is possible to include a spring member 368(FIG. 9 ), such as a cylindrical spring member made of a highlyresistant polymer, inside the spring-biased linkage 270, at a positionopposite to the spring 360 (FIG. 12 ). This can mitigate the damages tothe wheel chock 100 in the unlikely event of having a locked wheel chock100 pushed with an overloading force by a large vehicle but in thedirection opposite to the departure direction. The forces applied on thewheel chock 100 by the vehicle will only be opposed by the lockingmechanism 200. It will not otherwise affect the measurements at theposition detector 232.

In the illustrated example, the main arm 220 is part of a pivoting framestructure 240 generally extending widthwise inside the wheel chock 100.The pivoting frame structure 240 is part of the positioning unit 212.The main arm 220 is parallel to the interior wall surface of one of theside members 152. The pivoting frame structure 240 also includes asecondary arm 242 (FIG. 6 ) on the opposite side. Other configurationsand arrangements are possible.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but where some of the parts of thelocking mechanism 200 were removed for the sake of illustration. Theparts removed include those of the pivoting frame structure 240 toreveal other parts inside the positioning unit 212. The positioning unit212 includes a tooth-carrying member 254 (FIG. 11 ) under which theteeth 252 are provided. The positioning unit 212 moves the teeth 252 inand out of engagement with one side of a corresponding one among theblocking elements 120 of the base plate 106. In the illustrated example,the positioning unit 212 also supports the position detector 232. Otherconfigurations and arrangements are possible.

The teeth 252 of the tooth-carrying member 254 in the illustratedexample are somewhat similar in shape to the teeth 118 under the mainbody 150 of the wheel chock 100. They are, however, oriented in theopposite direction. Only one of the teeth 252 needs to engage one of theblocking elements 120 in a latched engagement. Three spaced apart andsubstantially downwardly projecting second teeth 252 are provided in theillustrated example. The teeth 252 are aligned and juxtaposed in alongitudinal row with a spacing that corresponds approximately to onethird of the spacing between two adjacent blocking elements 120. Thisway, the exact position of the wheel chock 100 on the base plate 106becomes irrelevant since any one of the teeth 252 can engage a blockingelement 120 whenever necessary. Nevertheless, using other configurationsand arrangements is possible. For instance, one can use fewer than threeteeth 252 in some implementations, even only one, or design theinterface between the wheel chock 100 and the base plate 106 completelydifferently from what is shown and described. The shape of the teeth 252can be quite different from that of the teeth 118 in someimplementations. Other variants are possible as well.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view of some of the parts of the lockingmechanism 200 inside the wheel chock 100 of FIG. 2 . FIG. 7 is a viewsimilar to FIG. 6 but taken from another viewpoint. Both figures showthe same lateral side of the locking mechanism 200. However, they showthe pivoting frame structure 240 almost entirely. This pivoting framestructure 240 includes, as previously mentioned, the main arm 220 andthe secondary arm 242. The secondary bearing assembly is partiallyvisible in FIG. 7 at 244. A rigid transversal bar 246 and a reinforcingsubstructure 248 are also present to create a torque transmittingengagement between the main arm 220 and the secondary arm 242 in theillustrated example. These parts pivot together with reference to thepivot axis 204. Still, in this implementation, the bottom edge of thetransversal bar 246 is configured and disposed to engage the top edge atthe end of a horizontally disposed lever arm 290. The transversal bar246 is only in abutment with the lever arm 290. The transversal bar 246will transmit the force coming from the lever 202 when it is pivotedcounterclockwise in FIG. 7 . The lever arm 290 can be better seen inFIG. 8 . Pressing down on the lever arm 290 will move the tooth-carryingmember 254 downwards in an arc-shaped motion. The lever arm 290 issubstantially L-shaped in the illustrated example. Other configurationsand arrangements are possible.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged isometric view of only some of the parts of thelocking mechanism 200 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 . Among other things,the pivoting frame structure 240 is not shown in FIG. 8 . This figureshows the side brackets 292 on each side of the illustrated positioningunit 212. There are provided to rigidly attach this positioning unit 212inside the main body 150 of the wheel chock 100. The side brackets 292can also be parts of a larger unitary piece in the main body 150. Otherconfigurations and arrangements are possible.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but with the side brackets 292removed for the sake of illustration. FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG.9 but taken from another viewpoint, namely from the opposite side. Ascan be seen, the positioning unit 212 of the illustrated exampleincludes two longitudinally extending vertical supporting side plates294. These side plates 294 are parallel and spaced apart from oneanother. Among other things, spacers 296 are used at both ends. The sideplates 294 provide mounting points for the bottom end of the returnsprings 280 since they are fixed parts. Other configurations andarrangements are possible.

The side plates 294 in the illustrated example also support a firsttransversal axle 300 around which the lever arm 290 is pivotallymounted. The axle 300 is coaxially disposed with reference to the pivotaxis 204. However, this is not essential for the locking mechanism 200to function. The side plates 294 further support a second transversalaxle 302 that is parallel to the first transversal axle 300. A pivot arm310 is mounted on the second transversal axle 302. This pivot arm 310 isslightly wedge-shaped and extends in the intermediary space between thetwo side plates 294. The top end of the pivot arm 310 is double sided inthe illustrated example and is supported by the second transversal axle302 at its center. The upper end of the pivot arm 310 is pivotallyconnected to the free end of the shank 272 of the spring-biased linkage270. The bottom end of the pivot arm 310 is pivotally connected to thetooth-carrying member 254. Other configurations and arrangements arepossible.

The illustrated example further includes a pair of arc-shaped slots 320,322 made on each of the side plates 294. These slots 320, 322 arecreated essentially to provide free space for mechanical connectors.They can also be useful to restrict the motion of the tooth-carryingmember 254. The tooth-carrying member 254 will not go beyond either oneof the end positions using followers 324, 326 (FIG. 10 ) extendingoutwardly in a corresponding one of the slots 320, 322. They areconfigured and disposed to abut at the corresponding ends of these slots320, 322. Other configurations and arrangements are possible. The slots320, 322 and the followers 324, 326 can be omitted in someimplementations.

FIG. 10 also shows the details on the connections between the lever arm290, the spring-biased linkage 270 and the return springs 280. As can beseen, the upper ends of each return spring 280 is attached to atransversal screw 350 provided at the upper end of a correspondingholding member 352. These holding members 352 are rigidly attached tothe lever arm 290. The lever arm 290 is connected to the spring-biasedlinkage 270 using a pair of spaced-apart side strips 354 extendinglongitudinally between the lever arm 290 and the target plate 232 b ofthe position detector 232. The other part of the position detector 232is rigidly attached to the shank 272 of the spring-biased linkage 270.In use, pushing down on the lever arm 290 will pull the spring-biasedlinkage 270 backwards, and this will force the tooth-carrying member 254to pivot, thereby moving it downwards. Other configurations andarrangements are possible.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but where one of the side plates 294was removed for the sake of illustration. The other one of these plates294 was left in place. This figure shows the tooth-carrying member 254almost entirely. It also shows the double-sided support arm 340 that ispivotally mounted to the first transversal axle 300 at its upper end.This support arm 340 is thus mounted on the same axle 300 as the leverarm 290, but it is not directly in a torque transmitting engagement. Thedownward motion of the lever arm 290 to only transmitted to thetooth-carrying member 254 via the spring-biased linkage 270 and thepivot arm 310. Other configurations and arrangements are possible.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but where some of the parts of thelocking mechanism 200 were removed for the sake of illustration. Aportion of the spring-biased linkage 270 was removed to show the helicalspring 360 provided therein in the illustrated example. This spring 360is located between the proximity sensor 232 a and the target plate 232b. Other configurations and arrangements are possible as well.

FIG. 12 shows the peg 206 engaging the front side edge of the main arm220. This creates a unidirectional force transmitting engagement betweenthe lever 202 and the side of the main arm 220 when the lever 202 ispivoted counterclockwise in the illustrated example. As previouslymentioned, there is no other torque transmitting engagement between themin this implementation and the lever 202 can return to its originalposition even if the locking mechanism 200 is in a locked statethereafter. Nevertheless, other configurations and arrangements arepossible.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of what is shown in FIG. 12 where additionalparts of the locking mechanism 200 were removed for the sake ofillustration. FIG. 14 is a transversal cross section view of the wheelchock 100 taken along line 14-14 in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 15 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock 100 of FIG. 2 whenthe positioning unit 212 is about halfway between the unlocked positionand the fully locked position.

FIG. 16 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock 100shown in FIG. 15 . As can be seen, the main arm 220 pivoted because itwas pushed by the peg 206 on the side of the lever 202. This forced thewhole pivoting frame structure 240 to pivot as well, thus the lever arm290 to be pushed downwards. It then pulled the spring-biased linkage 270backwards and, as a result, the tooth-carrying member 254 moveddownwards until one of the teeth 252, in this case the middle one, cameinto engagement with the corresponding blocking element 120. Theferromagnetic plate 224 is now closer to the electromagnet 230, but itis still out of engagement therewith.

FIG. 17 is a transversal cross section view of the wheel chock 100 takenalong line 17-17 in FIG. 15 .

FIG. 18 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock 100 of FIG. 2 whenthe positioning unit 212 is in the fully locked position. The lever 202was pushed all the way down with force, for instance using a foot, untilthe end position is reached. The tooth-carrying member 254 was notfurther moved significantly since it was already in engagement with oneof the blocking elements 120. The spring 360 inside the spring-basedlinkage 270 was compressed to compensate for the added force.

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock 100shown in FIG. 18 . As can be seen, the two parts of the positiondetector 232 are now almost touching one another, and the ferromagneticplate 224 is in engagement with the electromagnet 230. The positiondetector 232 will indicate that the tooth 252 is properly in position,and the electromagnet 230 can then be energized to hold theferromagnetic plate 224 for as long as required. The position detector232 will not be in a right position if the tooth 252 does not engage oneof the blocking elements 120. For instance, if someone pivots the lever202 in an effort to lock the wheel chock 100 without being on a baseplate 106, the lever 202 will pivot the main arm 220 all the way untilthe ferromagnetic plate 224 abuts against the electromagnet 230 but thetwo parts 232 a, 232 b of the position detector 232 will then not be atthe right position from one another. Thus, the electromagnet 230 willnot be energized. Other configurations and arrangements are possible.For instance, it is possible to keep the electromagnet 230 energized atall times and only interrupt it briefly for releasing the lockingmechanism 200.

Unlocking a locked wheel chock 100 can be done in diverse ways,depending on the requirements. For instance, one can design the wheelchock 100 with a release button 402 (FIG. 23 ) located somewherethereon. Other configurations and arrangements are possible as well.

FIG. 20 is a transversal cross section view of the wheel chock 100 takenalong line 20-20 in FIG. 18 .

FIG. 21 is a side view illustrating the wheel chock 100 of FIG. 2 whenan obstruction 390 prevents one of the teeth 252 on the positioning unit212 from latching with a corresponding one of the blocking elements 120.This obstruction 390 is a solid foreign object that was wedged orotherwise trapped underneath the blocking element 120 at the locationwhere the tooth 252 of the locking mechanism 200 will be. An example isa small rock.

FIG. 22 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock 100shown in FIG. 21 . As can be seen, the two parts 232 a, 232 b of theposition detector 232 are now against one another. However, the lever202 is now at its maximum end position but the ferromagnetic plate 224is still too far from the electromagnet 230 to be attracted by it ifenergized. Hence, the locking mechanism 200 cannot be held in a lockedstate. The user must either remove the obstruction 390 or reposition thewheel chock 100 where no obstruction is present. Other configurationsand arrangements are possible.

FIG. 23 is a simplified block diagram depicting an example of a controlsystem 400. This control system 400 is connected to the wheel chock 100via a wired connection 404 that includes, for instance, a wire to supplyelectrical power and a communication wire for exchanging communicationsignals with the wheel sensor 210 and the position detector 232, if any.Other configurations and arrangements are possible.

As shown in the example, the control system 400 can include a doorcontrol module 410 and also an alarm module 412. The door control module410 can be designed to prevent a garage door at the loading dock 110from opening unless the control system 400 receives a signal confirmingthat the corresponding wheel chock 100 has its locking mechanism 200 setin a locked state. The alarm module 412 can be useful to signal asecurity issue, for instance that the corresponding wheel chock 100 wasunlocked unexpectedly while the garage door is still open.

The electrical power required to energize the electromagnet 230 can besupplied through a corresponding wired connection 404. This wire canalso be the same used for data communication between the wheel chock 100and the control system 400. Furthermore, one can use a wireless datacommunication system, if required, and even have one or more batteries(not shown) inside the wheel chock 100 to power the electromagnet 230 orin case of a power outage. Other configurations and arrangements arepossible as well.

FIG. 24 is an isometric view of an example of a wheel chock 100 in whichthe positioning unit 212 is moved by a powered actuator 500. Theexpression “powered actuator” refers to an actuator that is not humanpowered. The powered actuator 500 replaces the human-powered lever 202from the previous figures. Nevertheless, some implementations couldinclude both a lever and a powered actuator. The wheel chock 100 isotherwise similar to the one shown in the previous example.

The powered actuator 500 can be located outside of the wheel chock 100,as shown. However, it is possible to place the powered actuator 500inside the wheel chock 100 in some implementations, or to have a poweredactuator 500 where some parts are outside the main body 150 of the wheelchock 100 and some parts are inside thereof. The powered actuator 500can be, for instance, hydraulic, pneumatic or electric. The poweredactuator 500 can be a rotary actuator, for instance an electric motor ora revolving piston, or be a linear actuator configured and disposed togenerate a motion of an element similar to the peg 206 in the previousexample. The powered actuator 500 provides the force to urge thepositioning unit 212 towards the fully locked position. Variants arepossible. For instance, the powered actuator 500 could apply a linearforce directly on one of the components of the positioning unit 212instead of transmitting the motive power through an intermediaryelement. Other variants are possible as well.

In the illustrated example, the source of power 510 is located outsideof the main body 150 of the wheel chock 100 and is sent to the poweredactuator 500 through cables or hoses 512. This can also be done usingthe wired connection 404 in FIG. 23 . Variants are possible. Forinstance, the source of power could be an internal power source 514located on or in the wheel chock 100 itself. One example is an electricmotor powered by one or more batteries on the wheel chock 100. Usingboth an external power source 510 and an internal power source 514 onthe same wheel chock 100 is also possible. Other variants can be devisedas well.

FIG. 25 is a semi-schematic side view of a variant of the wheel chock100 shown in FIG. 24 . The powered actuator 500 is located inside themain body 150 of the wheel chock 100, as schematically shown.

FIG. 26 is a longitudinal cross section view of an example of the wheelchock 100 where the powered actuator 500 in FIG. 25 is implemented as alinear actuator having one end operatively connected to the positioningunit 212. The positioning unit 212 is illustrated in the unlockedposition in FIG. 26 . FIG. 27 is a view similar to FIG. 26 , showing theparts when the positioning unit 212 is almost in the fully lockedposition, namely at a position where the ferromagnetic plate 224 isclose enough to be grabbed by the electromagnet 230. Variants arepossible.

FIG. 28 is a longitudinal cross section view of an example of the wheelchock 100 in which the locking mechanism 200 includes a locking pinsystem 600 to lock the parts in the fully locked position. Thepositioning unit 212 is illustrated in the unlocked position in FIG. 28. FIG. 29 is a view similar to FIG. 28 , showing the parts when thepositioning unit 212 is in the fully locked position. The locking pinsystem 600 can include a side pin 602 cooperating with a catch member604 that is rigidly attached at or near the end of the main arm 220. Thecatch member 604 includes a lateral hole 606 that registers with thetrajectory of the side pin 602 in the fully locked position. This allowsthe side pin 602 to enter the lateral hole 606, thereby holding thepositioning unit 212 in the fully locked position. The side pin 602 canbe actuated by a powered actuator 610, for instance a solenoid oranother kind of linear actuator. Other kinds of powered actuators andother variants are possible as well.

FIG. 30 is a longitudinal cross section view of an example of the wheelchock 100 in which the locking mechanism 200 includes a pivoting latchsystem 700 to lock the parts in the fully locked position. Thepositioning unit 212 is illustrated in the unlocked position in FIG. 30. FIG. 31 is a view similar to FIG. 30 , showing the parts when thepositioning unit 212 is in the fully locked position. The pivoting latchsystem 700 can include a pivoting latch member 702 cooperating with acatch member 704 that is rigidly attached at or near the end of the mainarm 220. The catch member 704 includes a top opening 706 having arectangular profile. The top front part of the catch member 704 can passright under the bottom flat side of the latch member 702 when it is inthe unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 30 . However, once the catchmember 704 reaches the fully locked position, or is almost at the fullylocked position, the latch member 702 pivots of about 90 degrees to holdthe parts since it cannot be moved out of the opening 706, therebypreventing the wheel chock 100 from being removed from the base plate106. The latch member 702 can be actuated by a powered actuator 710, forinstance an electric motor or another kind of rotary actuator. Otherkinds of powered actuators and other variants are possible as well.

FIG. 32 is an enlarged view showing some of the parts of an example of alocking mechanism 200 can be held in a locked state using a latchingsystem 800 that is not mounted on the main arm 220. The positioning unit212 is illustrated in the unlocked position in FIG. 32 . FIG. 33 is aview similar to FIG. 32 , showing the parts when the positioning unit212 is in the fully locked position. The latching system 800 includes aholder 802 that is in a torque transmitting engagement with a pivotingbracket 804. The holder 802 and the bracket 804 pivot around atransversal axis 806 located at the center of the holder 802 in theexample. A return spring 808 biases the holder 802 and the bracket 804in a counterclockwise direction in the views. The arrow next to thereturn spring 808 in FIG. 32 illustrates the return force. The returnspring 808 is only schematically depicted and could be replaced by anequivalent structure, or even be omitted in some implementations. In theexample, the bottom end of the return spring 808 is attached to a holein the bracket 804, and the upper end is attached to another part, forinstance a fixed part of the wheel chock 100 or one of the other mobileparts of the locking mechanism 200. Other variants are possible.

In the example shown in FIGS. 32 and 33 , the holder 802 includes asingle radially extending tooth 810 that is configured and disposed tocooperate with a notched end 812 of a lever arm 814. The lever arm 814pivots around a pivot axis 816, and the notched end 812 is provided onthe short side of the lever arm 814. As can be seen in FIG. 33 , theparts are configured and disposed so that the notched end 812 latcheswith the tip of the tooth 810 and holds this position when the lever arm814 is pivoted to an angle corresponding to the fully locked position.The bracket 804 also includes a release roller 820 at the free end of anarm of the bracket 804. The release roller 820 cooperates with a releaselever 822 located underneath. The release lever 822 pivots around apivot axis 824 to bring a recessed surface 826 in engagement with therelease roller 820 so as to change the positioning unit 212 from thefully locked position to the unlock position. The release lever 822 canbe pivoted manually, for instance using a hand or a foot of a user. Therelease lever 822 could also be operated by a powered actuator. Variantsare possible and other kinds of release mechanisms are possible as well.

It should be noted that other kinds of locking arrangements andconfigurations are possible. Hence, the proposed concept is not limitedto the examples shown herein.

FIG. 34 is an isometric view illustrating an example of a wheel chock100 in which the positioning unit 212 includes two rows of teeth 252disposed in parallel. This variant is referred to hereafter as thedouble-row locking mechanism 200. Many components are otherwise similarto the locking mechanism 200 having a single row of teeth. One of theinteresting features of the double-row locking mechanism 200 is that itcan properly lock the wheel chock 100 to the base plate 106 if a smallobstruction is only present between the corresponding tooth 252 of oneside and the corresponding blocking element 120. A tie rod assembly 380is provided to compensate for small variations in the positions betweenthe two sides. The tie rod assembly 380 includes a plurality of balljoints 382 or the like, as shown. Other configurations and arrangementsare possible.

FIG. 35 is an enlarged isometric view of the double-row lockingmechanism 200 inside the wheel chock 100 of FIG. 34 .

FIG. 36 is a longitudinal cross section view of the wheel chock 100shown in FIG. 34 .

FIG. 37 is a view similar to FIG. 36 showing the parts when thepositioning unit 212 is about halfway between the unlocked position andthe fully locked position.

FIG. 38 is a view similar to FIG. 36 but showing the parts when thepositioning unit 212 is in the fully locked position. This figuredepicts an example of a situation where the two sides are asymmetricbecause one of the rows encountered an obstruction but the wheel chock100 was still able to be set in the fully locked position.

FIG. 39 is an isometric view of an example of a double-sided wheel chock100. This wheel chock 100 can be used in a bidirectional wheel chockrestraint system. FIG. 40 is a view similar to FIG. 39 , showing anotherexample of a double-sided wheel chock 100. The wheel chocks 100 in FIGS.39 and 40 have a different configuration of teeth 118. They areotherwise relatively similar. Further details on double-sided wheelchocks can be found, among other things, in PCT patent applicationpublication No. 2016/191882 A1 published 8 Dec. 2016. The proposedconcept can be implemented in double-sided wheel chocks as well. Forinstance, it is possible to have a single locking mechanism, such as theones previously presented, to lock the wheel chock 100 in one direction.It is also possible to use two opposite locking mechanisms inside thesame double-sided wheel chock 100.

Double-sided wheel chocks, also called bidirectional wheel chocks, canbe useful in different situations. One is when the vehicles have a swapbody configuration. Such vehicles include a chassis and a container thatcan be detached from the chassis. The container has supporting legs tokeep it above the ground when detached from the chassis. The same wheelchock can be used to stop the vehicle when it includes both the chassisand the container, and to prevent the chassis of the vehicle frombacking up to get under the container. Variants are possible.

Other wheeled vehicles where bidirectional wheel chocks can be usefulincludes, among other things, trucks having a tank for transportingliquids, such as fuel or others, or trucks that can be loaded oroffloaded from the side. A bidirectional wheel chock can be installed,for instance, between two tandem wheels to prevent the vehicle frommoving in both travel directions, namely forward and rearward, while thecontents are loaded or offloaded. Many other examples exist. Likewise,other configurations and arrangements for the wheel chock 100 arepossible as well.

FIGS. 39 and 40 show that the wheel chock 100 include a resilient spacer900 on both sides. These spacers 900 can be made of rubber or of anothersuitable material. They have an edge attached over the main body 150,and they project obliquely away from the respective side. They aredesigned to keep the wheel chock 100 slightly away from the tire of awheel so as to mitigate the risks of having the wheel chock 100 becomingstuck under the tire when the weight of the vehicle increases as it isloaded. Variants are possible. For instance, a spacer 900 can be onlyprovided on one of the two sides in some implementations. They can alsobe omitted entirely in others. Still, a spacer can be provided on thewheel chocks 100 of the other examples shown herein.

FIGS. 39 and 40 also show that two wheel sensors 210 are provided, eachfacing a corresponding side. The configuration of these wheel sensors210 is slightly different than that of the other examples. Otherconfigurations and arrangements are possible. For instance, a wheelsensor 210 can be only provided on one side in some implementations.They can also be omitted entirely in others. Other variants are possibleas well.

The present detailed description and the appended figures are meant tobe exemplary only, and a skilled person will recognize that many changescan be made while still remaining within the proposed concept.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   100 wheel chock-   102 wheel-   104 vehicle-   105 restraint system-   106 base plate-   108 departure direction-   110 loading dock-   112 wall-   114 cargo compartment-   116 adjacent wheel-   118 tooth-   120 blocking element-   122 main plate member-   150 main body-   152 side member-   154 transversal member-   170 wheel-facing side-   180 wheel-engaging bulge-   200 locking mechanism-   202 lever-   202 a base-   202 b shank-   204 pivot axis-   206 peg-   208 slot-   210 wheel sensor-   212 positioning unit-   220 main arm-   222 bearing assembly-   224 ferromagnetic plate-   230 electromagnet-   232 position detector-   232 a proximity sensor-   232 b plate-   240 pivoting frame structure-   242 secondary arm-   244 secondary bearing assembly-   246 bar-   248 substructure-   252 tooth-   254 tooth-carrying member-   270 linkage-   272 shank-   280 spring-   290 lever arm-   292 bracket-   294 plate-   296 spacer-   300 first axle-   302 second axle-   310 pivot arm-   320 slot-   322 slot-   324 follower-   326 follower-   340 support arm-   350 screw-   352 holding member-   354 strip-   360 spring-   368 spring member-   380 tie rod assembly-   382 ball joint-   390 obstruction-   400 control system-   402 release button-   404 wired connection-   410 door control module-   412 alarm module-   500 actuator-   510 external power source-   512 cable or hose-   514 internal power source-   600 locking pin system-   602 side pin-   604 catch member-   606 hole-   610 actuator-   700 latch system-   702 latch member-   704 catch member-   706 opening-   710 actuator-   800 latching system-   802 holder-   804 bracket-   806 axis-   808 spring-   810 tooth-   812 notched end-   814 lever arm-   816 pivot axis-   820 release roller-   822 release lever-   824 pivot axis-   826 recessed surface-   900 spacer

What is claimed is:
 1. A wheel chock for use over a ground-anchored baseplate in a restraint system to prevent a parked vehicle from moving awayin an unauthorized or accidental manner in a departure direction whenthe wheel chock is in a tire-blocking position on the base plate, thebase plate having a plurality of spaced apart blocking elements and eachblocking element having opposite first and second sides, the wheel chockhaving a tire-facing side to be positioned directly in front of a tireof a wheel of the parked vehicle, the wheel chock including: a mainbody; a plurality of spaced apart first teeth provided underneath thewheel chock to engage the first side of at least one of the blockingelements of the base plate in a latched engagement when the wheel chockis in the tire-blocking position on the base plate; and a lockingmechanism including: a positioning unit located inside the main body andmovable between an unlocked position and a fully locked position, thepositioning unit having at least one second tooth provided underneath toengage the second side of a corresponding one of the blocking elementsin a latched engagement when the positioning unit is in the fully lockedposition, the at least one second tooth being out of engagement with theblocking elements when the positioning unit is in the unlocked position;an actuating device operatively connected to the positioning unit tomove the positioning unit from the unlocked position towards the fullylocked position; and a holding device located inside the main body toselectively hold the positioning unit in the fully locked position. 2.The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the holding devicemaintains the positioning unit in the fully locked position only whenthe at least one second tooth unobstructedly engages the second side ofthe corresponding blocking element while the wheel chock is in thetire-blocking position on the base plate.
 3. The wheel chock as definedin claim 2, wherein the positioning unit includes a spring-biasedlinkage interposed between a first portion of the positioning unitengaged by the actuating device and a second portion of the positioningunit where the at least one second tooth is provided.
 4. The wheel chockas defined in claim 3, wherein the spring-biased linkage includes acylindrical polymeric spring member to mitigate damages to the lockingmechanism in case of an overloading force applied on the wheel chock ina direction opposite to the departure direction.
 5. The wheel chock asdefined in claim 1, wherein the holding device includes an electromagnetsystem.
 6. The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the holdingdevice includes a locking pin system.
 7. The wheel chock as defined inclaim 1, wherein the holding device includes a pivoting latch system. 8.The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the holding deviceincludes a locking arrangement and the positioning unit includes a mainarm pivotally mounted around a transversal pivot axis, the main armtransmitting a motion received from the actuating device to other partsof the positioning unit, the main arm having a free end to which amovable portion of the locking arrangement is attached, the movableportion registering with a fixed portion of the locking arrangement onlywhen the positioning unit reaches the fully locked position.
 9. Thewheel chock as defined in claim 8, wherein the actuating device includesa manually operated lever pivotally mounted on a side of the main body.10. The wheel chock as defined in claim 9, wherein the lever transmits amotion to the positioning unit through a transversally disposed pegengaging the main arm.
 11. The wheel chock as defined in claim 8,wherein the locking arrangement includes an electromagnet system. 12.The wheel chock as defined in claim 8, wherein the locking arrangementincludes a locking pin system.
 13. The wheel chock as defined in claim8, wherein the locking arrangement includes a pivoting latch system. 14.The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the locking mechanismfurther includes a biasing device to move the positioning unit towardsthe unlocked position when the actuating device and the holding deviceare released.
 15. The wheel chock as defined in claim 14, wherein thebiasing device includes at least one return spring extending between thepositioning unit and a fixed location inside the main body.
 16. Thewheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one second toothis more than one in number and forms a set of longitudinally spacedapart and substantially downwardly projecting second teeth.
 17. Thewheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the positioning unit includesa double row of second teeth.
 18. The wheel chock as defined in claim 1,wherein the actuating device includes a powered actuator located on thewheel chock.
 19. The wheel chock as defined in claim 18, wherein thepowered actuator is one among a group consisting of a hydraulicactuator, a pneumatic actuator and an electric actuator.